Vehicle wheel



Oct. 14, 1941.

c. w. CLARK ETAL VEHICLE WHEEL Filed Sept. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ulllllllafllzl A iiomey' Patented Oct. 14,1941

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE WHEEL Claud William Clark, Meridian, Miss., and Wallace Prouty Edmonds, Emelle, Ala.

Application September 19, 1940, Serial No. 357,478

' as clearly shown in Figure there are inserted 2 Claims.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels and more particularly to pneumatic wheels for vehicles such as motor trucks, tractors and the like.

More particularly the invention has reference to the provision of a triple wheel, and consists in the'provision of three pneumatic wheel units which can be readily assembled and mounted on a single brake drum whereby to afford greater traction surface with consequent greater safety and advantages than is obtainable by the use of the well-known dual wheel.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is anelevational view of the out-board'- side of a vehicle wheel embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a peripheral edge elevational view of the wheel.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through thewheel.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating certain details hereinafter more fully referred to,

Referring more. in detail to the drawings it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof the wheel indicated generally by the reference numeral 5 consists of three individual wheel units including a pair of wheel units 6-6 and an intermediate wheel unit 1.

Each of the wheel units 6 embodies a disk body 8 that is dished as'shown and is provided at its peripheral edge with an integral, flanged rim 8.

The intermediate wheel unit 1 embodies a sub-" stantially fiat disk-like body It] having at its peripheral edge an integral, flanged rim H.

The rims 9 of the wheel units 6, and the rim I of the wheel unit I are adapted to have mounted thereon pneumatic tires l2 as shown.

In use the/ wheel units 6 and 1 are assembled as shown, that is with the unit 1 disposed between the units 6, and with the open sides of the disk bodies 8 of the wheel units 6 facing outwardly or away from one another or in opposite directions from the body ll) of the wheel unit I.

The bodies 8 and II are provided with suitable apertures as shown to accommodate the wheelmounting lugs l3 projecting from the vehicle wheelbrake drum I4. In this connection it will be noted that the apertures in the bodies 8 of the in the apertures l5 of the wheel body 8 disposed against the brake drum l4 conical bushings l6 while the retaining nuts I! threaded on the bolts l3 have conical portions I8 that fit in the conical openings l5 oi the wheel body 8 remote from the brake drum l4.

Also to prevent relative rotative movement ofthe bodies 8 and I8, said bodies are providedwith radial grooves 28 and radial tongues or'ribs l8 complementing the grooves 28 as shown in Figure 4.

Thus it will be seen that the wheel units may be readily assembled and-easily mounted on the vehicle for use. i

It will also be appreciated that a wheel embodying the features of the present invention permits the use of three "separate and distinctrims properly spaced laterally relative to one another and a corresponding number of individual tires thus giving to the wheel greater traction surface. y I

It will also be appreciated that a wheel structure embodying the features of the present invention will be a great safety factor and will permit the carrying of heavy loads even where a skilled in the art without requiring more dewheel units 6 are tapered as indicated at I 5, and

tailed description thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A wheel structure comprising three complete wheel units, each wheel unit embodying a body having an integral pneumatic tire-accommodating rim; the body portions of said wheel muts having central portions thereof inintimate facial contact and apertured to receive the wheelmounting bolts projecting from a conventional wheel brake drum for mounting the wheel structure on said drum, and th rims of said .wheel units being of substantially the same diameter and in the same plane; the body of the intermediate wheel unit being of flat disk form, and the bodies of the wheel units at opposite sides of the, intermediate wheel unit being of dished diskform,

with the rims of the last-named wheel units laterally spaced from the rim of the intermediate wheel unit, and each wheel unit having the central portion of the body thereof provided on one face with a circular series of spaced grooves extending radially with respect to the center of said body, and on the opposite face thereof integral ribs of substantially the same longitudinal and transverse dimensions as said grooves, so that the ribs of one wheel unit seat in the grooves of an adjacent wheel unit to facilitate aligning the bodies of the wheel units to receive the wheel! mounting bolts of the brake drum, and the handling of the three-wheel units as a group.

2. A wheel structure of the class described comprising a wheel unit embodying a relatively flat disk body having at its periphery a pneumatic tire-accommodating rim; two additional complete wheel units disposed one at each side of the first- -named wheel unit, and each of said additional wheel units embodying a dished body having at ma ma its peripheral edge a pneumatic tire-accommodating rim in a plane with the first named pneumatic tire-accommodating rim and spaced therefrom,

in combination with a wheel brake drum having wheel-mounting lugs projecting outwardly therefrom and through aligned openings formed in the bodies of said wheel units, and nuts threadediy engaged with the outer ends of said lugs and cooperable with the brake drum for clamping the central portions of the wheel unit bodies in facial contact on the bolts between one side of said drum and said nuts; and the central portions of the bodies of said wheel units being provided on one contact face thereof with radial grooves, and on an opposite contact face thereof with radial ribs complementing said radial grooves for securing the wheel units against rotative movement relative to one another when assembled.

CLAUD WILLIAM CLARK. WALLACE PROU'I'Y EDMONDS. 

